Tender Nightmares
by Diedre D'Nai
Summary: "In dreams there is no room for lies or self-defense, even when you want them." Zuko and Katara find one another in dreams.
1. Chapter 1, Zuko

Tender Nightmares

Part 1

**Genre: **Romance/Angst**  
>Characters: <strong>Zuko and Katara  
><strong>Synopsis:<strong> Katara and Zuko share a dream. Takes place at the end of Season 2.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> blah blah blah, Avatar belongs to people not me.

* * *

><p>"This..." Zuko looks around at the columns of steam billowing up from the hot spring in the bathing house, "This is a dream."<br>"I hope so." The reply is bitter and feminine, spat out in disgust, "Though why I'm dreaming about _you_ is a mystery." Without looking up, Zuko knows the silhouette in the mists.

In dreams there is no room for lies or self-defense, even when you want them. Zuko hears the familiar crack of a water-whip, and braces himself for the impact. He screws his eyes shut and grits his teeth against the blow, but opens them to a soft hand on his scarred cheek. He looks down, into hate-filled blue eyes.

"Why?" Katara demands angrily. Her cheeks stained with tears, "Why are you here? I hate you! I've always hated you!" A second hand comes up to punch him, but before he can think to block it changes into an open palm and settles gently against his flesh, "I decide for a split second that _maybe_ you're a human being just long enough for you to betray us! You nearly murdered Aang!" He doesn't think to question the 'nearly', this is a dream, dream logic doesn't need to make sense.  
>"You don't understand!" Zuko shouts back as his arms, against his will, fold around her. "I needed to be able to come home!" He growls, tears flowing unhindered into her tangled hair, "I need to reclaim my honor."<p>

"Why are you touching me?" For all the hatred in her voice, Katara doesn't struggle, her hands slid away from his cheeks and wrap around his torso in an embrace.  
>"I don't know!" Zuko tries to pull away, but only succeeds in pulling her closer.<p>

Infuriating, Katara.  
>Know-it-all, Katara.<br>Holier-than-thou, Katara.  
>Infantile, Katara.<br>Judgmental, Katara.

Beautiful, Katara.

Her head tucks under his chin, unnervingly gentle.  
>"They took your mother!" The hate in Katara's voice begins to subside, replaced with confusion and worry, "And you're still fighting for them!"<br>"I needed to redeem myself!" Zuko surprises himself by answering, "And...besides, I shouldn't need to explain myself to you!"  
>"Then why are you?" Katara hisses. Though, the eyes that look back at him are worried and soft.<p>

Dreams are funny things. Katara and Zuko sink to the bathhouse floor. Silently, they each take in a breath. Despite the billowing steam clouds and the obvious heat, neither feels themselves sweat-drenched. As if the bathhouse exists, but has no bearing on them.

As if they are untouchable.

"I can't let go of you." Zuko growls, "My arms...aren't...listening to me." His voice adopts an angry, dangerous edge, and it sounds like he's struggling, but his arms remain gentle and protective around her. Not a single muscle moves, though, to his confusion, it isn't quite like being frozen.  
>"I..." Katara's voice shakes with a medley of emotion, "I can't move either." She bends against him in resignation, leaning her head against his chest, feeling the fire of his skin in her cheek. "This is so STUPID!" Her tears are cool on his skin, tears of hate and frustration and sadness.<p>

For a moment, he is ashamed of them. Ashamed that he has no way to stop what is happening. Ashamed, even, that he has made the irritating woman cry.  
>"Stop! Touching! Me!" Katara howls.<br>"I'm sorry...Katara..." There is nothing else he can say.

They sit there huddled together for what could have been seconds or days or lifetimes. Katara sighs at length, "I hate you so much." but it was without the earlier venom.  
>"I hate everything..." Zuko confesses, Katara is cool in his arms. It might be refreshing, he thinks, were it not against his will, "All I've ever wanted was my father's love...and..." He exhales, "I might have that now..."<br>"I hope you're happy." The venom is nearly tangible as it drips from her lips, but the words sound nearly sincere.  
>"Me too..." The words ache against his throat and he knows he's lying. Maybe it will be better when he is home. Maybe when the ship pulls in and Azula takes him before their father everything will be alright. "I miss my Uncle..." The words and tears that fall from his scarred eye are lost in Katara's hair.<p>

_ 'Every time I pictured the face of the enemy...it was your face.'_

The words resound through the bathhouse, though neither Katara nor Zuko speaks. The prince looks up, and he exhales.  
>"You were going to heal my face..." There is a small nod against his chest, "And then I betrayed you." He buries his face in her hair, "I'm sorry."<p>

* * *

><p>Zuko sat bolt upright in his bed, he huddled forward against his knees and glared at his blanket hard enough he was impressed it didn't catch fire.<br>"Are you alright, Zuzu?" Azula's mocking voice was the last thing he needed, and the snarl from his throat said it all. It was rewarded with a rich chuckle, "So touchy. Having nightmares, older Brother."  
>"Go away, Azula."<br>"Oh, come on Zuzu." Her smile was wicked, "You can tell me what's wrong."

He fired a small bolt of fire at her head.

Azula left, her laughter following her out of the room.

* * *

><p>Katara didn't realized she had fallen asleep until she woke up. She looked around frantic, and let out a relieved sigh to find Aang, still unconscious, but breathing beside her. Appa's flying was smooth and steady. Everyone else was asleep, and so she curled up beside his body and wept.<br>"Please wake up, Aang..." She put her healing hands to his temples, "Please come back."


	2. Chapter 2, Katara

Tender Nightmares

Part 2

* * *

><p>It's starting to get familiar, and Katara isn't surprised to find Zuko, leaning against one of the baths sulking.<p>

Annoyed, but unsurprised.

"You again." She doesn't even bother going to bend a water-whip. It's never worked before, she doesn't think it ever will. She sits on one of the baths and contents herself with glaring at him. "Why does this keep happening?"  
>"I don't know." Zuko's response is short and angry, but this is nothing new. He crosses his arms in front of his chest like a shield and looks pointedly away from her.<p>

Which is fine.

Infuriating on some level.

But fine.

"I wish it would stop." She crosses her arms like he has and looks in the other direction, "I hate falling asleep only to find _you_ here." She presses a hand to her forehead, "I hate it."  
>"Me too." Zuko looks up, not at Katara, but at the ceiling. They can't bend here. Normally that would be reason enough to be uncomfortable. But if anything, this place feels too at peace, too right. Its wrong to be at peace around him, Katara reminds herself, its wrong and its dangerous.<p>

Zuko cannot be trusted.

"How's home?" The words are out of her mouth before she can stop them. She doesn't care, but its the nature of the dream to ask. At least, that's the best guess she can muster.  
>"Fine..." He's lying, it might as well be stamped out on his forehead and its almost as irritating as his presence. He looks down, then up at her and exhales steam, "I...my father has welcomed me back with honor."<br>"That's great." Katara snarls, "Are you done trying to kill us then?" Her pulse races and she grips the stone until her knuckles turn white.  
>"Yes..." Zuko's reply is hushed and hurt, "the Avatar is dead." Katara looks up at him. She feels herself slip off the wall and walk over to him. Gritting her teeth against every easy step. Zuko's arms unfold, though you couldn't tell it from his eyes. Her hands catch his cheeks and look up at him as his arms fall limp to his side. "He isn't though..." Zuko sighs, "I know the Avatar is alive." His own hands rise up, his fingers brush the cool pendent of Katara's necklace, she closes her eyes and swallows. Its an invasion, every fiber of her being wants to hurt him, how dare he touch her necklace.<p>

He's the prince of the fire nation.  
>He might as well have taken her mother himself.<br>He has no right to brush her memento so tenderly.  
>He has no right to feel. To mourn his own mother.<p>

She wants to hold him. To share the grief that fills them both.

"I'm so confused." He punctuates the whisper like a shout, and she knows if they were anywhere else he'd be a tempest of fire, "My uncle won't speak too or look at me. My sister is plotting something. I have everything I've ever wanted. Mei and my father and my honor back." His skin feels like an inferno beneath her fingers and for a split second she wants to quell his rage. She wants, for merely a moment, to protect and shelter him the way she has everyone else. "I should be happy." His hands wrap around and settle at the small of her back, "But I don't think I am."

Their foreheads press together, she can feel where his skin wrinkles and toughens into a scar.  
>"You shouldn't be." Her voice is hard and unyielding, "You're a <em>terrible<em> person. You deserve worse." Her head rests against his shoulder, "You're the worst person I've ever met. You're an evil, obsessive, self-entitled, merciless, murderous, jerk." She means every word and hates that they come out soft and gentle.  
>"I'll do what I have too." He vows, "I should have killed you when I caught you."<p>

They both know he's glad he didn't.

They both hate it.

* * *

><p>Katara rolled herself up out of sleep into a sitting position, clutching her knees. On hand flew to her necklace and she bit back on heavy, angry tears. He had no right. No right to touch her necklace. She pulled her self out of her sleeping bag and looked towards the moon. She closed her eyes and reached for the water at her hip, transferring into her stance. Her breathing slowed as she went through the motions, leading the water around her. Smoothing, calming motions.<br>"Katara?" She didn't look over at Aang. "Are you alright?"  
>"I had a bad dream." She explained simply, pushing the water in front of her back into her water-skin, "I needed to think."<br>"Wanna talk about it?" She offered the air-bender a small smile,  
>"Not really, Aang." She exhaled, "It was just a dream."<p>

* * *

><p>Zuko didn't bother sitting up. He rolled over and looked at the emblem on his bedroom wall. How often was this going to happen, he wondered. The dreams were tying him up in knots. He squeezed the pillow.<br>"I need some air." Throwing the blankets off of himself he dressed quickly and started towards the jail. His head was ringing with Katara's hate and his father's plan for the return of Sozin's comet. Maybe, maybe tonight Iroh would say something. Something cryptic, something wise. Something Zuko didn't even understand.

Anything.


End file.
